Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 90266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“No, I’ve never seen this many stars in the sky before in my life.” She stares in awe.
“I met a guy once who said he comes to Snow Valley every year just to stare at this sky.” I pull her close. “I’ve seen it my entire life, but never appreciated it before he told me that.”
We stare at the night sky for several minutes before I feel her start to really shiver, and we head back inside. We spend some time in front of the fire warming up before I mistakenly glance at the clock and realize how late it is. She has to be exhausted. It’s even later where she’s from, and she had to travel today.
“Are you about ready for bed?” I lean against her.
“Yeah, although the cold definitely woke me up!” She looks down and laughs.
“Give me a minute to shut everything down in here.” I break from our embrace and start turning off the lights.
I feel my heart begin to race a little bit as I walk down the hall with Catriona. A part of me wants to pull her into my bedroom and make my bed the only one she sleeps in for the rest of her life. Another part of me doesn’t want to rush straight into it if she’s not ready.
I don’t know if she was just teasing with some of the things she said. I’m about to find out. I’ll be at peace with it, no matter what. I’ve enjoyed every second that I’ve got to spend with her, and while my body craves more than a kiss, I won’t be upset if the anticipation lasts a little longer. She’ll be in my dreams, regardless.
“I guess this is where we say goodnight.” Catriona pauses at my door and looks toward the guest room.
“Yeah.” I nod and lean forward to kiss her.
It’s a tender kiss. Almost like the end of a great first date. Feeling her lips against mine reignites every bit of desire I’ve been feeling since I first tasted her kiss. I want to push for more, but I pull myself away before my hands can explore more than they should.
She looks so fucking beautiful in the dim light. The last image I’ll have before I step into my bedroom and close the door.
“Of course, if you asked me to stay…” She looks down and bites her lip.
“I want to.” I exhale sharply. “But you really should decide where you want to sleep tonight, just like I said. I don’t want to push you into something that you regret in the morning.”
“I don’t think I’ll regret waking up in your bed.” She looks up and meets my stare.
I push my door open and take a step inside my bedroom. It’s an invitation. I wait to see if she takes it. There seems to be a hint of hesitation in her eyes. I’m fine with that. I don’t want either of us to go through with this unless we’re both sure it’s what we want.
“It’s okay if you’re not ready.” I tilt my head slightly. “Today has been amazing, and it doesn’t have to end in here for me to be happy.”
“I’m…” She sighs. “I’m kind of scared how much I want it. The guy I told you about is the only one I’ve ever been with. We were together for several months before I was even ready to think about it.”
“I’ll wait as long as it takes.” I take a step forward and reach for her hand, then bring it to my lips and kiss it. “We can wait until our wedding night. We can wait longer than that if you’re still not sure.”
“No.” She squeezes my hand and steps into my arms. “You’re so incredibly patient. I don’t want to wait. This is where I want to sleep tonight.”
Our lips meet. The fuse burns away into an explosion of desire. This kiss isn’t gentle. It’s filled with ferocity and a primal need that resonates inside both of us. I would have waited, but I’m sure glad I don’t have to. I pull at her clothes and explore her body. We land on the mattress, tangled in an embrace without breaking the seal that sears our lips together.
She’s going to spend the night in my bed, but I’m not sure how much sleep we’re actually going to get.
Chapter Eight
Catriona
Some things feel so incredibly wrong. This doesn’t. Being in Nate’s arms feels like the best decision I’ve ever made. He’s going to be my husband, but that isn’t why I crave the intimacy of his touch. I feel closer to him in one day than the guy I almost married. Something about that relationship always felt off, but I never knew what it was. Now I do.
There was no passion. No real desire. We were two people going through the motions for whatever motivation drove us in that direction. It was supposed to be my trajectory, but now I see that throwing caution to the wind and falling headfirst into chaotic attraction is so much better than following a straight line someone else puts you on.